Chapter 10

EPISODE – 22

 

"Good Morning Delhi! Har roz ki tarah ek baar phir, subah ke saat bajte hi, main aa gayi hoon aap sab se milne, baatein karne aur aapka favourite music play karne. It's me RJ Naina only on Radio Mirchi, 98.3 FM. Well guys, I am sure you all remember ki kal Radio Mirchi pe we brought you guys an exclusive interview with the famous televison actress Shveta Salve. Amongst lots of hearty talks that we have had with her there was one thing that particularly strike me. Though it isn't something that you don't come across in 99% of star inverviews but come to think of it, it's a bit weird thing. She said that just because a few negative characters she has played in few of the recent TV shows, many people, she doesn't even know, now look back at her in hatred believing her to be plain evil just like her particular character of their favorite show.So basically I am talking about image. The image that people tend to attach to a person only because of a certain profession that he or she belongs to. And generally it isn't something too rare or outlandish to do or find. And to be subjected to such partial and judgmental treatment you don't even have to belong to a high profile, glamourous career like show biz. Let's face it. Every government employee is considered to be useless, every police official is supposed to be corrupt, every Army official is assumed to be strict and no-nonsense types and every corporate has to be heartless and money-minded. So essentially there is a generalized opinion about people belonging to some particular professions. But how many times are we correct. Apparently, not all all the time. Is discussion ko hum continue karenge lekin usse pehle a song coming up for all my wonderful listeners. Aur uske baad aap mujhe phone kijiye aur bataeye apne experiences jahan aapko bhi kisi ne judge kiya wrongly on the basis of your profession ya phir aapne judge kiya ho kisi ko isi basis pe only to realise that you were sooo wrong. Mera number hai 011-28284444 aur aap sun rahe hain Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM."

 

Naina's previous day observation during the star interview wasn't the only reason for bringing up this topic. It was also the fact that during the last fortnight that Colonel Sahay has been in Delhi, she has gelled very well with him. He really liked her and she loved him as much as her own father.

 

Over the last fortnight things have really started to look up for her. Not just her changed equation with Colonel Sahay but it was also Alekh. He had finally started giving her some time. He was better at managing things single-handedly. They have spent last few days together on lunches, dinners and drives. Though once or twice he had got an urgent call in between their date and he had to leave her all alone. Rest of the time Naina was busy hunting various malls and markets to look for something that could be an ideal wedding gift for Navin and Neetika. But she could not find one. She was absolutely clueless about it. Their wedding had 20 days to go. Neetika and Navin shopped for themselves while Naina accompanied their parents and Rajveer escorted her for her shopping.

 

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The wedding was very simple and there was hardly anyone after family and closest of relatives attending the functions. But they had to throw a huge reception party where they had to entertain their seniors basically because they wanted nice bulk leave to set off for their honeymoon. Compared to wedding the guest list for reception seemed endless and at the end of it Naina conveniently with few of her friends' names added another special one – Alekh! She wanted him to meet her brother, sister-in-law and Rajveer, the three people who meant the whole world to her.

 

Alekh came right on time as instructed by Naina. The party had begun and her family was occupied welcoming guests. Navin and Neetika were surrounded by many guests. Naina waited for a while for the crowd around them to clear and meanwhile took Alekh to introduce him to Rajveer who was busy with his senior officers. As Rajveer saw her approaching with an unfamiliar face, he figured out that he should be Alekh. He came to her bearing a big smile.

 

"He is Alekh. Right?" He asked her.

"Tumhein kaise pata."

"Mujhe yeh bhi pata hai ki ab tum ise Navin se milwaane wali ho."

"Very good."

"Very bad." He said as he shook hands with Alekh.

"Kyun?"

"Tumhein bhi pata hai Navin isn't going to take this thing that easily."

"I know. Isliye to party mein milwa rahi hoon. Yahan to Bhaiyya chahein bhi to hyper nahin ho sakte."

"Smart!! Chalo dekhte hain."

"Wait a minute. What's the problem?" Alekh could not help himself from asking that.

"Wahi jo har protective Bhai ko apni behen ke boyfriend se hoti hai."

 

Alekh chuckled.

"In that case, Naina's idea sounds really safe for me."

"Lemme hope so too."

Rajveer patted on his shoulder and they moved towards Navin and Neetika who were now left with just one of the guests who was about to depart from them.

 

They smiled at Naina when they saw her coming to them.Navin looked at Alekh patiently waiting to be introduced as they joined them.

 

"Bhaiyya... Meet Alekh Sharma, my tentative Boss...." she continued after a small pause as two of them shook hands. "And my boy friend."

"What?" Navin shrieked and his grip around Alekh's hand tightened. He would have almost crushed his fingers if Neetika hadn't intervened. She separated them immediately realising the sudden heated atmosphere.

 

"Navin... calm down." She said that almost in a hardly audible whisper forcing a fake but big smile and threatening him, to refrain from creating a scene, with her gaze. She patted his arm re-assuringly as if it was the worst possible news for him. He immediately controlled himself and smiled back at them.

"Excuse us." He grabed Naina's arm and pulled her with him in a somewhat secluded corner leaving the other three perplexed.

 

"Lagta hai iske ander ka bhai jag gaya hai." Rajveer said.

Neetika gave him a similar gaze as she had given to Navin just now. With another fake smile she said,

"Raj... Shut-up."

She turned to Alekh.

"Sorry about that. Please don't mind him... actually please don't mind THEM. You know yeh... Naina bhi na... It was a big shock for us...I mean... a big surprise."

"I kind of.... understand. Oh... By the way... Congratualtions."

He gave her a neatly packed gift. The kind of reaction Navin gave he even forgot that he was attending their wedding reception.

 

They gave each other courteous smile and turned back to look at Navin and Naina. They were in the middle of what looked like a discussion... or may be an argument!